Whale Shark Sightings
Added to website: 22 July 2004
It was a dream come true for CCC Volunteers in Honduras and the Philippines, who were lucky enough to see the magnificent whale shark on several occasions in February and April. Whale sharks (Rhyncodon Typus) are the biggest fish in the sea, growing up to 14 metres and weighing up to 10 tonnes. The gentle giants feed on plankton, small fish and squid, which they filter through their gills as they swim. They are mainly found in the Indo-Pacific, Caribbean and around Australia although they occur worldwide in warm, temperate and tropical waters. Whale sharks are highly migratory creatures, and move between ocean basins according to plankton blooms, fish aggregations and changes in sea temperature. Relatively little is known about whale shark behaviour and biology, however it is thought they are long living (100-150 years), give birth to live young, and are mainly solitary creatures.
Whale shark numbers have decreased in recent decades -although little long-term data is available as to their numbers. The IUCN red list now classes whale sharks as ‘vulnerable’ due to their low reproduction rates, low abundance and the high market value of their products.
The biggest threat to the species is their widespread hunting, especially in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, whale shark hunting was until recently a common ritual in fishing communities. The hunts would last for up to 3 days, where a courageous fisherman would dive down to harpoon the creatures - a highly dangerous enterprise. Luckily since 1998 the practice has been outlawed, although some illegal hunting still goes on to supply the expensive shark meat trade in Taiwan, where the shark products are very valuable. More and more countries are now recognising the vulnerability of whale sharks and giving them protected status, with Australia, Belize, Honduras, India, the Maldives and the USA all giving whale sharks some level of protection. So the CCC sightings are encouraging news for the species as well as a day to remember for all the Volunteers!
